NTS Nurturing Care announces the next step in our ministry to autistic children, but also to youth and adults on the spectrum. With the help of the facilities staff at Nazarene Theological Seminary and in partnership with Camp Encourage consultants, future participants now have access to a sensory room for respite, regulation, and reset.

Located on the third floor near the chapel, the seminary repurposed one of the classrooms for strategic use during NTS events or to support other gatherings. Originally open during our Preachers’ Conference for pastors and other attendees, the room will now open during the seminary’s intensive class days, known as Convene, with a similar design for adults who need a break.

The room includes varying resources such as:

light displays that students can try,

comfortable furniture and space to rest,

white noise available for calming,

sensory devices from fidgets to stress balls,

and art resources to stimulate graduate students who need a break from course content, or just activity to turn their mind to a new direction. 

While the first two offerings focus primarily on adults, Nurturing Care also arranged for an array of sensory devices specifically with children in mind.

In collaboration with Camp Encourage, who oversees the sensory rooms at Kauffman Stadium, the room will ultimately offer several “floor plans” for children drawing upon a range of resources already purchased by Nurturing Care and stored in a support closet. In the future, the room can serve ministries as a “laboratory,” so different groups might explore varying sensory resources as they explore creating their own spaces. The room can also serve as a resource for church or community gatherings at the seminary. Before children can be admitted, Nurturing Care will finalize a set of videos to orient children’s workers and parents to proper use of the facility.

During Convene, adult students are free to try out the various resources to create the environment that accommodates their needs. The room’s creation serves NTS as part of www.nuturingcare.org focus on autism ministry.